There are many places you can find a garden in London, but what about right under your feet, deep underground? There was once a farm in London, near a major train station in South London, hidden from sunlight in a bunker.
Although it sounds like Matt Damon directed The Martian, this underground farm wasn’t on Mars. Instead, it was 33 meters below the feet of Clapham’s pedestrians, with LED lighting and hydroponic growing systems to sustainably grow food such as fresh green herbs and salads all year round.
The farm, called Growing Underground, was located in a converted Second World War shelter in Clapham South which was to connect to the London Underground, but never materialised. Since 2015 it became a farm rather than anything to do with our Tube network.
Without natural light, heat or water, a group of engineers, data specialists and farmers worked together to optimize crop performance and reduce energy use. Dr. Ruchi Choudhary who led the engineers and data scientists said they “reduced the time it takes to grow some crops by 50 percent and all crops by an average of 7 percent and increased yields by 24 percent.”
They used no pesticides and 100 percent renewable energy to grow agricultural crops. The food produced went to New Covent Garden Market to be sold, also reducing food miles and the pollution that farming can bring. They also helped stock shelves at Tesco and M&S.
The 65,000 sq m farm was in operation from 2015 to 2023, running on seven-day-a-week shifts, with at least seven people working a day. They could harvest foods such as Thai basil, cilantro, pea shoots, rocket and mustard leaves, harvesting produce about every ten days.
The tunnels used for the estate sheltered 8,000 Londoners during the Second World War from air raids, and those inside could have survived for three months there if needed. Later in life, the tunnels became temporary accommodation for Windrush immigrants awaiting permanent housing.